Pakistan Army chief General Raheel Sharif today claimed that India was not serious to resolve “historical disputes” like the Kashmir issue and accused Indian spy agency of “exploiting” the security situation on the border with Afghanistan.
“India is unwilling to address historical disputes like Kashmir that directly fan misunderstanding and feed into persistent regional culture of conflict,” Gen Sharif said in Stutgart, Germany, where was on a day-long visit to attend a conference of Chief of Staffs of the Armed Force being held under the auspices of US Centcom.
His statement comes amid the rising tension between the two countries in the backdrop of terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Uri that led to death of 18 Indian soldiers.
He accused India of exploiting the security situation on border with Afghanistan and added that terrorists could move across borders because of no effective border management systems in place there. “This is exploited by the anti-Pakistan intelligence agencies such as RAW,” he said.
The Pakistan army chief said a stable Afghanistan is a guarantee to a peaceful and stable region and peace in the war-ravaged country could be achieved through a comprehensive and coordinated strategy.
“Route to a peaceful and prosperous region runs through a stable Afghanistan, which is achievable through comprehensive and coordinated approach,” he said. He said Pakistan is making “all out efforts” to eliminate terrorism and it has suffered the most due to the menace compared to any other country in the world.
Meanwhile, Indian External Affairs Minister Swaraj today told Pakistan to "abandon this dream" of obtaining Kashmir, asserting that the region is an "integral part of India and will always remain so".
"It (Pakistan) persists in the belief that such attacks will enable it to obtain the territory it covets," Swaraj said during her address at the United Nations General Assembly.
